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I’m really enjoying this thread. Outstanding work so far David! It’s gonna be one beautiful bird when finished.
Thanks,
ahmed
KSFO
When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace becomes a circus.Thanks Ahmed. The closer we get to the finish the more apprehensive i get.
-d-
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OK, well as of July 28, the engines and translating ejectors are more of less done. Here’s some closeups of Number 1 engine (still not glued to the pylon) sporting a partially-deployed ejector.
Because i cannot slide the ejector fully aft (yet), you don’t see quite as much daylight through the back end of the ejector but these photos give you the idea…
Side view of the engine pod. The very fronts of the engine inlets, i masked and re sprayed with decanted AS-12, since i thought the SM-201 was a little too bright, and there is a two-tone difference in the front cowls.
The mid section is LP-61, but i masked off the top part of the engine pod and re painted that with SM-205 Super Stainless.
I tried a lot of different colours on the Translating Ejector rings before settling on a base coat of MM Burnt Iron over which i applied MM Exhaust (which you can buff). I finished off by slopping on a mix of tap water and Tamiya Flat Black.
I have turned to glitch cleanup and repair work mainly on the fuselage. All the masking with tweezers results in the occasional scratch or “peck” into the surface which messes up the finish and requires touch up. I painted what i think are titanium or stainless doublers at the bottoms of the cabin and cargo doors, and next up will be painting of the various louvers on the nose for the pressurization systems.
More to come…
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So, i finished what i considered the spot repairs that offended my sensibilities the most, added the titanium (stainless steel?) doublers on the doorsteps, painted the air conditioning louvers with Gloss Aluminium and in sort of anti-climactic style said, “well i guess that’s all there is…”
And so the tape came off…
And with that, time to glue wings onto the 720B.
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I have been thoroughly enjoying the progress, and all of the accompanying explanations of the process, of this build. As I look over the last batch of photos, one word comes to mind, finesse. Great job!
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David,
That is an awesome looking paint job! Congratulations!! Once the decals are on, the model will look as good as the painting of the jet that hung behind the Northwest Orient ticket counter at MSP back in the day!
Cheers!
Tom
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We’re now on a technical hiatus while we source the decals for the project, hence the forward progress on the 720B….
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Posts: 112Location: Salt Lake CityOccupation: Retired. Twice: Civilian HR manager and US Army officerPhenomenal work. Brings back memories of a time when airliners were not just white tubes with billboards on the side.
Robert V. Leonard
Bare metal added to the leading edges, followed by a coat of super clear and the inevitable carpet bombing campaign with MLT.
The bare metal on the vertical fin does show in photos, as does the HF antenna cover, but it’s very narrow. Its possible the decanted AS-12 which is kind of bright, is making the strip look wider than it should be.
Bare Metal on the leading edges of the stabs is even more hard to see but i added it in order to be consistent.
The vertical fin and upper fuselage i will probably not mess with, but i’ll add a wash to the horizontal stabs, once i get the the undersides clear coated.
-d-
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It looks so awesome!!!
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https://www.youtube.com/@starchwreck1017OK, wash added to the stabs. I decided to leave the vertical fin alone.
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Looking great! What did you use for your wash? Looks like just the right amount of panel line accent without it being too much.
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That is Windsor & Newton Payne’s Grey, applied directly from the tube with a brush. I swabbed the excess away with a q tip moistened in Gamsol Odourless Mineral Spirits.
I originally tried mixing up a wash with distilled Turpentine, but where it pooled up, it burned through the clear coat and then the silver paint. No such problems when you stay away from the turpentine. Also the model doesn’t stray sticky, as when you use Turpentine to remove the excess wash.
-d-
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That is Windsor & Newton Payne’s Grey, applied directly from the tube with a brush. I swabbed the excess away with a q tip moistened in Gamsol Odourless Mineral Spirits.
I originally tried mixing up a wash with distilled Turpentine, but where it pooled up, it burned through the clear coat and then the silver paint. No such problems when you stay away from the turpentine. Also the model doesn’t stray sticky, as when you use Turpentine to remove the excess wash.
-d-
Nice, I may have to check that out sometime!
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Something I may have missed. When you decant the Tamiya spray, such as the AS-12, do you thin it for airbrushing or spray it as it comes out of the can?
Gene
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I definitely have to thin it. However, Mr Rapid Thinner does a great job and i think i’m getting more mileage out of a spray can this way.
Just like with the old Metalizer, this stuff needs to be thinned considerably in order for it to spray. I *did* try it straight from the can but it just did not work right.
-d-
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I usually thin Tamiya sprays about 50/50 with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner, works well enough for most cases.
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The metallic finishes are a different animal; they require use of Mr Rapid Thinner and i estimate they’re thinned about 90% thinner, 10% paint.
Non metallics work well with Mr Levelling Thinner and probably get thinned 70% thinner to paint.
Anything coming out of the spray can will require experimentation to get the right thinning ratio.
-d-
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After a not small amount of apprehension, i bit the bullet and applied the cabin windows to the left side.
The cabin door outlines are separate decals, so i used those as a warm up exercise and for the most part they fit well. Slightly taller than the kit doors but same width. Very close.
Decals, once again were by Authentic Airliners. I cut around the windows i wanted with a fresh X-Acto blade. I removed the excess film with a tweezers while it was still on the sheet. Prepared the surface with micro set and slid them into place..
The cheatline /window frame tolerances were as i expected, very close. But the cheatline went on straight, and i managed to eyeball the vertical spacing of the windows OK i think.
You can see how little clearance exists between the silver window frames and the cheatline boundaries, so i think you can now appreciate how stressful the masking and painting setup was.
I mashed down the window decals with damp Q-Tips and then applied Walther’s Solvaset (the NEW formula; not the Tactical nuclear version), and setthe model aside to dry. So far, so good.
Next update when i get the right side windows on…
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Wow, Dave! That looks pretty!
The window frames up against the dark blue cheat line looks dead-on accurate. Good job! I can’t wait to see how it will look with the windshield frames installed.
I really, really like the metallic reflection of the wing in the lower half of the fuselage and the wings look pretty realistic. It’s almost like the airplane just got rolled out of the Douglas factory. I like your metallics technique and will start using it on my models.
Cheers!
Tom
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Thanks Tom!
On closer inspection, while the windows turned out pretty well, there’s one spot where the “line” is not quite straight (e.g., the spacing between the window frames isn’t centered on the blue stripe). Have been ruminating about this since last nite, and not sure if i want to rip off some select window frames and try again.
Will try to do a better job on the right hand side windows.
-d-
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…meaning the blue stripe became narrower at that spot, or that the window strip wasn’t applied straight at that point? I have a few sets of Authentic Airliners Boeing windshields but not the windows. I’ve only used ATP and Flying Colors windows up to now. It would drive me crazy (I’m OCD like that) but I supposed removing a decal is easier than having to retape to do a spot paint.
What will be the source of the “Northwest” titles, registrations, and the gold edged US flag?
Cheers,
Tom
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…meaning the blue stripe became narrower at that spot, or that the window strip wasn’t applied straight at that point? I have a few sets of Authentic Airliners Boeing windshields but not the windows. I’ve only used ATP and Flying Colors windows up to now. It would drive me crazy (I’m OCD like that) but I supposed removing a decal is easier than having to retape to do a spot paint.
What will be the source of the “Northwest” titles, registrations, and the gold edged US flag?
Cheers,
Tom
Meaning the windows do a little jump upward before going back down and falling in line. There are 3 windows that would need to be fixed.
I just got off the phone with Jeff Thomsen and after talking it over, i decided to leave it alone, and move on.
There’s also a risk that zipping off the affected windows might take paint off with it, which is the plastic model equivalent to D.O. Guerrero blowing open a hole in the back of that 707…
We are right now contending with a source for the “NORTHWEST” in white that goes on the vertical fin and the “Northwest Orient Arlines” script that goes in between the two front cabin windows.
I tried using the “DC-8C INTERCONTINENTAL” titles from the 26 decals sheet and they promptly disappeared when applied to the dark blue cheat line.
So THAT didn’t work…
-d-
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Change in plans…
The slightly wonky nature of 3 of the cabin windows, and the late disclosure that early DC-8s used curtains, and not sliding shades bothered me.
I managed to get the cabin window decal off the model with a piece of tape, suffering no damage to the underlying paint.
Second attempt here with Vintage Flyer decals.
it will be a 2-step process because the silver window frames are separate, but so far i find them to be a bit thinner, and a little easier to work with.
So, clear coat goes on tonite before bedtime, silver frames to follow tomorrow.
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And now, the thrilling conclusion…
I’ll let the clear coat harden up overnite, and begin decaling the right side tomorrow.
Good thing i was able to fix this mistake early in the game.
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Bravo, Dave, Bravo!
The model looks better than ever, and I’m glad things worked out.
I tried to find out what I could for the Northwest Orient Airlines logo just aft of the passenger door. Unfortunately all my models, decal sets, and reference books are packed up and in storage for the next few years. But I spent some enjoyable time on Airliners.net looking through the photos of Northwest’s DC-8-32s on file there. I learned that the first two, N801US and N802US, were painted in the “old” scheme with the blue stripe above the windows, a la the DC-7C. N803US, N804US and N805US were painted in the scheme you are depicting, so that will help with your choice of registration numbers.
For the logo I checked a well-known bidding site for the Flying Colors Northwest 707 set and found one where I could expand the photo for good detail. Good news is that it has “Northwest ORIENT Airlines” like you need, with “Orient” in red script. Bad news is that the “Northwest” and “Airlines” are in blue font since the logo was applied beneath the window line against bare metal. Also, “Intercontinental” that goes ahead of the horizontal stab is italicized. The Microscale 727 decal set is even less helpful since by then Northwest was advertising the “FanJet” so that’s in large red font beneath “Northwest Orient Airlines” in blue font and the whole thing, again, applied beneath the window line.
Perhaps you can ask one of our decal printer friends to do a custom job. If they need a minimum number to make set up worth it, I’d be interested in a few sets.
Thank you for putting up the photos and keeping us up to date!
Cheers!
Tom
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I have the FCL sheet for the 707, and the Northwest Orient Airlines script is too big. Same for the NORTHWEST titles that go on the vertical fin.
-d-
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Yep, I figured that would be the case…the DC-8’s fin is narrower.
I don’t know how the Microscale 727 set will work, at least for the white fin title. The “Northwest” main titles are smaller than the ones on the Flying Colors sheet and I used them on my Roden 720 for that reason. They might work on the DC-8 as well.
Cheers,
Tom
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i don’t have the Microscale sheet, but i know it exists. I think Jeff Thomsen may have it and he’s probably measuring it for me. We’ve been chatting and texting back and forth on this.
The fonts on the DC-8 and 707/720/727 are slightly different, especially the letter “S”.
I initially took measurements of the “NORTHWEST” on the FCL sheet and created a removable tape template to check the dimensions and immediately it became obvious the title was too big. The DC-8 as you said has a narrow chord vertical fin and rudder, compared to the 707 and 720B.
But you know…. somebody has to go first.
-d-
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In the immortal words of Dr. Rumack, “Good Luck. We’re all counting on you.”
Thank you for taking these bold steps and documenting your progress.
I have a few of X-Scale’s DC-8-32s and -33s in storage. Due mostly to your tutorials and how good the model is looking, I was confident that I, too, can get a good-looking DC-8 as well, and I bought the X-Scale US Navy EC-24A kit. Why? Because the Navy bought United DC-8-54 “Jet Trader” N8048U and converted it to their electronic warfare testbed. I figured X-Scale would mold the cargo door in detail and exactly where it ought to be which made it more desirable than the KLM DC-8-53 kit. I have a set of Pointerdog decals for the United cargo DC-8-54 so I thought building this model would be a slam dunk (plus with JT3D turbofans, the engines will be easier than what you’ve been going through with the -32). X-Scale did not disappoint, but what I didn’t count on was that they molded holes in the top and bottom of of the fuselage where the large antenna “canoes” are located, plus some vents, bumps and lumps along the fuselage for other sensors. I was expecting they’d take the Minicraft approach: give you an extra sprue of the antenna pieces and leave it to you to attach them to the existing 707 or Constellation fuselage using reference photos.
Ah well. There isn’t anything that can’t be sanded, patched and puttied, but it will take a little longer than I anticipated. But when I get that far, the belly, wings and pylons are going to look great!
Cheers,
Tom
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Okay we reached a point where i’m happy with the cabin windows (the doors are yet to be settled) and we’re moving on.
The first window layer went on yesterday. Sprayed on clear gloss right before bedtime. This morning, applied the silver frames and let it dry until after lunch when i hit the model with another clear coat.
So, i think will will post a thread on the X-Scale Electra and maybe see if my 720B is ready for some paint.
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These look amazing! How is the quality of the kits? Where can you get them from?
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Testing artworks on the Ocho…
Some changes to come…
-d-
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That looks like a pretty good fit. Were you able to get the DC-8 Intercontinental wording for the blue stripe behind the rear doors?
Gene
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Yes, though we didn’t have the exact font, and we’re waiting to see how opaque the white ink will be.
-d-
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Here is a general idea of what it’s gonna look like…
As Sherman Bowen would say- “So Long, and Happy Landings”…
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Gorgeous work, as always, David. Can’t wait to see the finished product.
Kind regards,
Dutch
Kind regards,
DutchJust a minor update:
The decal sheet has been printed and it’s on the way.
I took the time to go back and repaint some bare metal segments, mainly on the belly and leading edges. The cheatline and solar cap have been given a rub down in selected places with Novus #2 and now i’m just waiting to start putting the decals on.
That explains the surge in build progress, on the 720B.
The Revell 727-191 inches ahead, but re-scribing panel lines on the wing is a slow, tedious process.
-d-
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Posts: 112Location: Salt Lake CityOccupation: Retired. Twice: Civilian HR manager and US Army officerWhen you mount your engines on the pylons, what glue do you use? The black CA? Clear CA? Tamiya extra thin?
Please share.
Robert V. Leonard
Haven’t decided yet, but #1 engine will be the test case. Either black CA or Tamiya extra thin.
-d-
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Clear coat has been applied to the left side of the model.
And now, a Public Service Announcement.
When using metallic finishes and the time comes to clean your airbrush, when you think its clean, keep flushing it with clean thinner.
I say this because Metallic particles from Mr Hobby Extra Fine Silver, on the inside of the cap which covers the colour cup, managed to migrate into the clear coat.
Too late to do anything about it now. It’s not visible to the naked eye, and you need to look very closely in order to see it, but there do appear to be very tiny silver flakes, most visible in the blue cheatline and the windows. However, you need to look really close and you need a strong light source to see them.
As you can see here, it doesn’t appear in the photos…
I may very well be obsessing over nothing, but please just take my suggestion to heart and avoid making the same mistake i did. Fortunately, the “Damage” is confined to the left side only.
Silver paint is hard to get out of an airbrush, and i would have avoided this land mine, had i not gone back and repainted the wing leading edges where paint rubbed off, and the belly where certain sections of the fuselage had visible sanding scratches in it.
its that whole, “No good deed goes unpunished” thing…
With that out of the way, i can say the decals themselves performed very well. They laid down fine onto a glossy surface and i used very little in the way of setting solutions- just a little bit of Micro Set.
I cut the NORTHWEST into two parts to allow for the deep chasm between the rudder and the vertical fin. The US Pennant has some sort of thin surround. In some photos it appears possibly gold or golden yellow but it’s impossible to be 100% sure. the “DC-8C INTERCONTINENTAL” shingle is centered around the fuselage bulkhead panel line. 803US lies just above the beginning of the fuselage “Crease”.
This is the first layer of a two layer decal, that includes the word Orient in red…
Lastly, the horizontal stabs are just press fit in place for continuity purposes. They will get glued in place after the landing gear goes on.
As they used to say on the Tonight Show: More to come.
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Two small steps forward.
I had painted the anti-glare panel long ago with a flat blue, but over time, and repeated clear coats, polishing, -and no small amount of wet sanding- it had been completely obscured. The original thought was to mask off the affected area and re-paint it but in the end, i took the easier way out and used My trusty standby- Model Master Clear Flat.
Getting a proper camera angle, where you could see the difference was tough.
The other construction step was the installation of what we in the trade call, the red blinky things.
I guess it’s time to begin work on the landing gear. <sigh>…
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It’s looking good, Dave!
Can’t wait to see it sitting on its gear!! And the engines attached, of course.
Cheers!
Tom
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Thanks Tom!
The gear is next. I guess the first step is gluing all of the wheel halves together…
-d-
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I’m evaluating the Minicraft KC-135 wheels for my DC-8.
They are actually very nice, as injection molded wheels go. Much better than the Albino hockey pucks you get in the Minicraft DC-8.
Main landing gear struts have primer on them and are in the process of being cleaned up…
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